The Rise and Fall Of Seth Sekhemib
by Khelkhet
Summary: A god's devious web of deception constructs his rise to power and fall from grace and begins the life and death of a most unfortunate Mummy. Intro fic for future fics.


Title: "**The Rise and Fall of Seth-Sekhemib**"

Author: Khelkhet

Setting: The Mummy

Disclaimer: This version of Masika/Seth-Sekhemib is mine, although parts of her history are actual legend. :)

Archive: Ask first

Comments: Please read and give constructive critisism.

_**Preface: How Seth-Sekhemib came to be.**_

With the 4th ruler of the second dynasty (2890-2686 BC), Egypt was torn apart by political and religious conflicts. History as recalled by historians of today have no explanation of how or why the actual conflict occurred and speculate that the 4th king of the 2nd Dynasty ascended to the throne using the name Horus-Sekhemib, but somewhere during his reign, he changed his name to Seth-Peribsen. He thus became the only Egyptian ruler known to have used a Seth-name in stead of a Horus-name. This name changing is highly significant, for in the Egyptian mythology, Horus and Seth were adversaries. It is not known, however, if this part of mythology had already been established during the 2nd Dynasty, which would indicate that Sekhemib at one time wished to break with Egyptian traditions, or whether it has been a result of the conflict that appears to have arisen between Seth-Peribsen and Horus-Khasekhem. If the latter be the case, one might even speculate that Sekhemib/Peribsen could have been Khasekhems uncle who ascended the throne illegitimately and that his position was attacked by his nephew. This may have plunged the country into chaos, which might explain the chaotic character that is usually ascribed to Seth. The fact that Horus is usually considered an Upper-Egyptian and Seth a Lower-Egyptian god, even suggests that during at least parts of the reigns of Sekhemib/Peribsen and Khasekhem, the country may have been divided. The struggle between Seth-Peribsen and Horus-Khasekhem, according to history as we know it, was eventually lost by Seth-Peribsen, as in mythology. As a sign that the troubles had come to an end, Khasekhem changed his name to Horus-Seth-Khasekhemwi, meaning "Horus-Seth, the two powers have appeared". With the unity of Egypt again firmly re-established, the 2nd Dynasty had come to its end.

The missing pages of history are accredited to a woman whose name was Masika (Born During The Rain). Masika was the daughter of a rich man, whose father had often told her as a child that she was beautiful enough to become the Pharaoh. He meant it as a simple enough praise, as she any daughter is as beautiful as the gods in the eyes of their father. As Masika grew older and learned the ways of their people she saw that a woman could never be Pharaoh. She saw the Pharaoh take wives, and as her father was a wealthy man, she begged him to allow her to become a wife to the Pharaoh. By the time she was sixteen, Masika was bonded to the Pharaoh according to her wishes.

She was not the First of his wives, which made Masika jealous. She would often bully the other girls, and try as she might Masika could simply not accept them as her equals and sisters. The wives began to bear sons and daughters, but no matter how many times Pharaoh took her into his bed, Masika herself would not conceive. She would pray and make offerings to the god Horus to heal whatever damage was done to her, but to no avail. She remained infertile. A Pharoah's wife who could not conceive him sons and daughters was worthless. Still, an agreement was an agreement, and Masika had not yet reached her five year limit. Masika was assigned to other tasks, which included helping with the training of Pharoah's oldest sons and daughters. Through observation and participation over the years, Masika became very good at Archery, barehanded and Staff combat.

After five years as one of the Pharoah's wives, as some had gone, died in Childbirth and new ones were accepted into the harem, Masika was still the only of twenty who bore no children. She knew that if she did not soon give the Pharaoh a son that she would be sacrificed to Horus by the Pharaoh's priests to ensure that he did not suffer infertility. Horus! The same god that Masika had begged to help her for nearly five long years! Masika cursed the name of Horus and in disguise sought the advice of healers within the city. No one could help her, claiming that there was too much damage for her to ever successfully conceive or bear children.

All of them were ignored, one after the other, until finally Masika got the answer she wanted. She found a woman who had a book and claimed if read and the requirements followed, Masika would conceive the next time she spent the night in the bed of her husband. She also said that Masika would have to receive proper training, for if she miscast the magic terrible things would happen. Masika saw that with only six weeks left until her life would be wasted to a god that didn't listen, she had no choice. The price was steep but Masika paid in full.

When the time came for Masika to cast the spell, and she had done everything as instructed, she gathered with the woman and the ceremony was carried out. When she had finished the incantations and drank the potions and knew there was no more to be done, Masika felt no different. She spent the night with her husband, but days later was still not yet pregnant. She went to find the old woman, but found no trace of her nor of the riches she had been paid. Masika fell into despair, knowing she had been cheated, and fell to her knees. To Seth--not to Horus--did she cry out a prayer and beg to know why she was cursed as this. She promised Seth everything she had; her riches, her health, everything. She swore to the sky that if he would give her a child that he could have her eternal soul and she would serve him in life, obeying his every command.

There was nothing but silence and the continued beat of the sun from above.

But three days later, after another night in the bed of her husband, only a week before she would be killed Masika was ill. Fearing she had caught an illness from the river, she was separated from the other wives and healers were sent to her. Within a few days it was proudly announced to the Pharaoh and Masika that the gods had lifted the curse upon her, and she was with child.

It was not, however, an easy pregnancy in these very early months. Masika was in terrible agony even less than a month through her child's development, but she never failed to thank Seth for hearing her prayers. She knew it had not been Horus; he had ignored her for many years. She also would in secret offer him sacrifices, and each time she would ask him if there was anything he wished her to do in his name. She always got silence, until at last in Seth's wisdom she spoke to her in her dream. He showed her an image of the wives and children of the Pharaoh all dead.

Now, what Masika didn't know was why. It didn't really matter, because even as ill as she was in her pregnancy no amount of pain could cool her jealousy over the others. With them out of the way and her son to be born, he would be the next Pharaoh and she would be the current Pharoah's only wife. So, that same evening she poisoned the drinks being fed to her 'sisters' and their children, refused her share due to her illness, and by morning, all but two small children, both daughters, were dead.

Masika, being very good at lying, played the part of devastated wife quite well. All attention suddenly fell to her, and the importance of keeping the remaining wife and her unborn child (due to the possibility of it being a son) protected. She was surrounded by comforts, given servants of her own and lived for the three weeks until Seth's next inspirational dream lived as her father had once jested; as if she were Pharaoh himself.

The next vision was of the Pharaoh dead. In it, she saw his death from the point of view of his killer, as his room erupted into flames and he was burned to death. Seth instructed her to stage her own death, and for very good reason; the conclusion of the dream was of Masika herself taking the Pharoah's place.

She made it so. She made it known she would be spending the night with her husband, and with the guards safely outside the room, drugged him and stole his clothes to wear herself. She cut her hair and burned her skin. As she viewed her reflection she realized she was showing the small bulge where her child grew if she was not careful. In the months to come she knew she would grow enormous, but having faith in Seth's plan she went forward and did as he instructed. Two weeks after the death of his wives, the 'Pharaoh' Horus-Sekhemib mourned the death and funeral of his last remaining wife and his unborn child. Masika, now disguised as the mourning Pharaoh, hid beneath her robes and masks to avoid being caught.

She didn't have time to enjoy her new position for long. As her advisors suggested taking on more wives, Masika, now Sekhemib, refused, quoting his grief and ordering them to suggest it again in a month. The agony of her pregnancy continued to plague her, but she was able to quote this illness as an effect of grief as well. Less than a month passed--nearly three months into her pregnancy--before Sekhemib was given the instructions that would be written in history as an astonishing and unexplainable chain of events.

Sekhemib, who had long supported the unity of upper and lower Egypt, suddenly proclaimed that due to Horus's failure to protect his wives, sons and daughters, he would no longer be known as Horus-Sekhemib but as Seth-Sekhemib. Thus began a bloodbath war between upper and lower as Horus-Khasekhem of lower Egypt defied the treachery of Seth-Sekhemib. Sekhemib, however, was still pregnancy, and she begged Seth not to take her child away from her, but pointed out that her belly was growing and it would not be long until she could no longer hide the secret. Seth informed her that he had no intention of murdering her child, for her child was His. But, rather than allow her to be discovered, Sekhemib's pregnancy was 'frozen' at between four and five months. She would grow no further over the next two years of conquest, war, political and religious strife in the name of Seth.

But, Horus-Khasekhem was a great leader himself, and in an eventful battle, he defeated the armies of Seth-Sekhemib.

Sekhemib, in the time after her death when Egyptian historians went about their writings is referred to as "She was attacked and took the initiative to escape by going along with her abductors."

At the time of her capture during the siege of her city, Sekhemib readily surrendered to the men who would otherwise have simply slain her. When he ordered Sekhemib stripped of his robes, it was Horus-Khasekhem who would discover that the 'Pharaoh' was actually a woman, and it is there that history becomes confused. Horus-Khasekhem was furious both that the throne had been so defiled and that the former Pharaoh, whom had been his friend and brother in all but blood until the change to Seth-Sekhemib, had been murdered. He had Masika's sentence carried out publicly, mummifying her alive with her unborn son and burying her in a cursed tomb. As a sign that the troubles had come to an end, Khasekhem changed his name to Horus-Seth-Khasekhemwi, meaning "Horus-Seth, the two powers have appeared". With the unity of Egypt again firmly re-established, the 2nd Dynasty had come to its end.

Approximately 4600 years later, the mummified remains of a woman, buried face-down and with the bones of her child perfectly preserved was excavated from a tomb in the Valley of Kings. Inside the Sarcophagus was a book of magic...The very book that Masika had paid the old woman so much fortune for was right there with her.


End file.
